Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: The Ratha Yatra of Puri, popularly known as Ratha Jatra is the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival. It celebrates Lord Jagannath and his siblings annually, on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh (June-July). This ancient tradition of chariot procession is held with great joy and pomp in Odisha and Ahmedabad. The auspicious Jagannath Rath Yatra will begin on June 20 at 10:04 pm and will end on June 21 at 7:09 pm.
Rath Yatra greetings to everyone. As we celebrate this sacred occasion, may the divine journey of Lord Jagannath fill our lives with health, happiness and spiritual enrichment. pic.twitter.com/ATvXmW3Yr0
#WATCH | Celebrations underway in Puri, Odisha as #JagannathRathYatra begins from today pic.twitter.com/i3GZmscPEs — ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2023
Gujarat CM performs 'Pahind Vidhi', flags off 145th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/7foQXfmVn3#Gujarat #BhupendraPatel #PahindVidhi #RathYatra2023 #jagannathtemple #Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/qzA5dRu6S7
Some of the astonishing and mysterious facts related to the Rath Yatra that can blow your mind are given below:
1. Waving Against the Wind
The flag on the top of Jagannath temple flies opposite the wind. This is usually considered an act of the divine and science calls it the phenomenon of Karman Vortex Street in fluid dynamics. It may not be the case always but is possible most of the time, due to sea wind moving along the shikhara may lead to the formation of eddies. And these eddies near the top are the reason for the occasional reverse flying of the flag or Bana.
2. Nilachakra
The 20 feet colossal chakra installed at the top of the temple 2000 years ago is visible from all the nooks and corners of the city. The design of the temple is still a mystery to many. It is believed that the Chakra upright at the highest point of the temple is 20 feet in height and weighs a ton. But the real mystery is the installation, like what energy helped the humans to climb up the 45-storey building with the weight of an elephant.
3. No Sound of Sea
According to the Puranas, it is said that Lord Jagannath has entrusted the responsibility of protecting this temple to Lord Hanuman. Under this, Hanumana stopped the sound of the ocean from coming inside this temple, so Lord Jagannath can sleep without any disturbance.
And as per scientific explanation, the temple is a closed structure barricaded by tall stone walls. Even the noise emanating from just outside the temple is not audible inside the temple. So there is no way the sound of the sea waves can be heard inside the temple.
4. No Fly Zone
People are usually amazed by the fact that no birds or planes are seen flying above the temple. Believed as a divine act, the scientific reason no birds fly over the temple is possibly the cylindrical structure of the building. It is believed that the density of air is lower due to more humidity and the Reynolds No is also directly proportional to the velocity of air, which tends to be more near the sea. And this condition does seem favourable for creatures to fly.
On the other hand, it is said there are no flying routes for planes that go above the temple. And, the airspace above the temple has been declared as a ‘No Fly Zone’.
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5. No Shadow
It shines or rain, no one has ever seen the shadow of the grand temple of Jagannath Puri. The main dome's shadow cannot ever be seen because of the architectural prowess of our yesteryear engineers. According to the principles of science, the shadow of the dome always falls on the building itself and hence it is invisible to everybody.
6. No Wastage Policy
Jagannath Puri temple serves every day around 2000 to 20,00000 devotees every day. ‘Amunia’, a kind of special rice is used to cook ‘anna’ which is served as part of prasadam. And with no scientific explanation, it is true that none of the individuals goes without prasadam from the temple premises.
7. Magical Pot
The Mahaprasad at Jagannath temple is cooked in a unique style, with 7 clay pots one over the other. According to science, the prasad in the first pot gets cooked first because of the difference in pressure on the top of each pot. As the boiling point of a liquid is directly proportional to the pressure on that liquid.
8. Wooden Idols
During Nabakalebara, new wooden idols of deities replace the old ones. The ritual is performed once every 8, 12, or 19 years. Artisans pick specific sacred neem trees to carve out the idols of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Mata Subhadra and brother Balbhadra(balrama). Millions of worshippers watched the last Nabakalebara, which took place in 2015.
Millions of worshippers witnessed the most recent Nabakalebara, which took place in 2015.
The deities are paraded outside the temple on two sets of chariots, each with three chariots, during the major Jagannath Rath Yatra annually. The first chariot carries the gods to the river that divides the Mausi Maa and Jagannath temples. The idols are then taken into three boats to cross the river. The second chariot now from the bank of the river takes the gods to the final destination, the Mausi Maa Temple or Mausi Baadi.
